Find ancestors in Civil War letters, War of 1812 letters, Revolutionary War letters. Search your ancestry and find your genealogy. Find your roots and hear your ancestors' words. Discover your origins in old letters as ancestors tell their stories and details of family history. Learn how to preserve old documents, family treasures and heirlooms.

LOCALITY

Death Finds a Way: A Janie Riley Mystery by Lorine McGinnis SchulzeJanie Riley is an avid genealogist with a habit of stumbling on to dead bodies. She and her husband head to Salt Lake City Utah to research Janie's elusive 4th great-grandmother. But her search into the past leads her to a dark secret. Can she solve the mysteries of the past and the present before disaster strikes? Available now on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca

Coffin Plate Collection Private collection of over 400 coffin plates with names of ancestors plus birth and death dates

Olive Tree Newsletter

JOIN the FREE Olive Tree Genealogy Newsletter. Be the first to know of genealogy events and freebies. Find out when new genealogy databases are put online. Get tips for finding your elusive brick-wall ancestor.

Enter your surname for a list of genealogy books with fascinating facts and history about your family name

John DeCamp of Ohio to his brother William De Camp of New Jersey 1828

I have met with a great disappointment this winter as my school house door was locked up and I forbidden to go therein any more. .... John DeCamp of Ohio to his brother William De Camp of New Jersey 1828

Preble County Ohio 5th month 11th 1828

Dear Brother Having a convenient opportunity, I joyfully embrace it. In directing a few lines to thee as this seems the only correspondence we can have while situate at so remote a distance I now salute thee in that love which no time nor distance can destroy. dear Brother I have waited in expectation of a letter from thee for nearly a year but am unhappily disappointed though I have written two and sent to thee by Post yet I have rec'd no answer, therefore cannot tell whether thee receiv'd them or not, but as I am ever mindful of thee I again venture to write this once that thee may know that I am still numbered among the living through the Mercy of an Everlasting God, to whom be praise Honor and dominion forever.

Dear Brother our progress through life is short and that full of trouble, let us be mindful in this our day of the shortness of life and certainty of death and thus mindful we shall escape many snares of the grand enemy of our souls peace, and be thereby prepared when that awful summons of "Steward give up the Stewardship" Shall sound in our ears and found with our Lamps trimmed and our light burning and be ready to enter into the Bride chamber before the door is shut! Oh that this may be the happy Experience of thee my dear Brother and of all, of my relations and kindred with myself.

Dear Brother as I have always had a desire of thy company and of seeing thy face once more still increases with my years. I wrote pretty lengthy in the last two letters I sent thee, I deem it unnecessary to go so lenthy in this. I have met with a great disappointment this winter as my school house door was locked up and I forbidden to go therein any more. This was done by only two men who are called School directors, this was thought by a majority of my employers as an act devoid of all principle belonging to men of breeding, as appears is actually the case of both of these being puffed up with pride in their office, think to swerve a whole district of their voice and power, but in this they are mistaken for though I lost by it about $30. and my employers the chance of sending to school. Yet we are united in opposing their mean measures, and expect to have a school of our own.

Though I have told thee this trouble yet would not discourage thee in the least in coming out to live with me as it is a very plentiful country. I believe those who do justly love Mercy and walk Humbly before God shall be fill'd of the good things of this life and inheritance among the Blessed forever and ever. I cannot write to thee of late without pressing thee to move out here.

Edgar I am a weakly person and working alone at the carpenters trade goes hard with me not being well enough acquainted with the trade and there is not a day goes over my head wherein I do not think of thee, and say with myself, O was Edgar only here to work with me we might get the best of work and enough for 4 hands.

Benjamin W. Crane I hope will inform thee of our situation and my desires more fully than I can express in this manner. I sincerely think, I might say I know, it would be best for you all to come out here. If I am spared with life and health at any time thee will come out where my house shall be thy welcome stopping place with what ever I am able to render to thy use..

What shall I say more. I could indeed talk with thee from morn till eve'n. I fear I shall never see thy face more as I'm persuaded I never shall if thee does not move out here nor any the rest of my relations in that counrty. Edgar I want thee to be particular and write soon in Answer to this, and all the letters that I may send to Brothers and Sisters, and I have made it a rule whenever I get a Letter from theee to answer it pretty soon. Also I want theee to let me know whether thee rec'd the two last letters I sent thee, and whether thee has wrote one to me lately.

Direct thy letters to John M D'Camp Williams Store Butler County Ohio. I may now conclude in saying I am ready and willing to assist thee in any thing that may be lawful as a friend and Brother.

Please remember me to thy dear partner, to my Father, Mother Brother and sisters and all enquiring friends put my Brothers and sisters in mind to write I should be extremely happy to see my dear parents once more and one or all my brothers and sisters.

In love Farewell dear Brother may we live in the fear of the Lord and love of one another till death shall put and End to our sojourneying here.

John M D'Camp To Wm E D'Camp

Wishing you had an ancestor photograph? Check out the 1800s photographs and antique photo albums on Lost Faces. There are over 3,500 photos in this growing genealogy collection

Name: Nina
E-mail: HISTMOM@aol.com NOTES: It looks like this letter was delivered by their cousin Benjamin Crane. There is no amount written and no return address. It is addressed to William Edgar and "fav'd by B.W. Crane", is written on the side.